Wood-burner considerations to get further study

White Pigeon village officials have deferred a matter regarding outdoor wood-burning boilers until more information can be gathered by a council member and zoning official.

By Jef RietsmaJournal Correspondent

White Pigeon village officials have deferred a matter regarding outdoor wood-burning boilers until more information can be gathered by a council member and zoning official.A month after village council member Shireen Cline raised health-related concerns about the devices, the panel on Wednesday agreed to have Cline met with Doug Kuhlman, zoning administrator for the village. The two will review the village’s current ordinance and try to develop a revised regulation.A time and date for their meeting has not been set, but that information will have to be posted if other council members decide to sit in on the discussion.Village president Dan Czajkowski recapped the issue with a reminder that the village has an ordinance on the books, a revised ordinance on standby and an example adopted by the city of Bronson.“Shireen has issues with all those and thinks it would be a good idea if we take our time and go slowly,” Czajkowski said. “Shireen, you’re interested in that and you want to get together with Doug on that, so you can decide when you want to set it up and have anybody involved that you’d like.”Cline said between the council’s April meeting and Wednesday, she has secured additional information about health-related risks posted by the burners. The information, she said, has come from American Red Cross, Michigan Department of Community Health and the state’s Department of Environmental Quality.She said the work session with Kuhlman would allow the opportunity to mesh portions of the proposed revised ordinance with sections of the DEQ outdoor-burning ordinance.“In addition, the ordinance would address not just residential, but commercial properties, according to the commercial regulations outlined from the DEQ,” Cline said, indicating she is in support of an outright ban on the burners.Cline has cited concerns about health risks associated with the wood-fueled burners. She said there are at least three in the village, including one owned by council member Tyler Royce about 100 yards from her home.Cline has compiled several pages detailing studies that documented the hazards associated with smoke emitted from outdoor furnaces. They include asthma, COPD, cancer and carbon monoxide poisoning. The village’s current ordinance requires the furnaces be 50 feet from any home or business not being heated by the unit. In addition, the smokestack height requirement is 75 percent of the eavestrough height of the tallest building, plus two feet.An ordinance proposed by the village’s attorney allows furnaces to be on property no less than five acres and 300 feet from any other dwelling. It also requires them to be at least 50 feet from any property line and the smokestack to be at least two feet higher than the highest roof peak on any neighboring dwelling.